1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to article pickup devices and more particularly to a device for sanitary release of animal feces collected in a bag.
Many municipalities have laws and ordinances requiring animal owners to remove feces left by their animals on public and private property. Animal owners often desire to pick up animal droppings from an area where an animal is confined. Such removal requires the animal owner to pick up the feces and transport it to a suitable place of disposal.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98
The most relevant prior art known to applicant include U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,737, issued Sep. 11, 1973, to Drum et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,393, issued Jun. 14, 1994 to Cortinas, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,264, issued Sep. 16, 1997 to Tanahara.
The Drum etal patent discloses an elongated handle having a bag supporting frame and an article pick up member pivotally joined to the depending end of the handle which is actuated by the user moving a lever pivoted to the handle to force the pick up member to move feces in a bag.
Both the Cortinas and Tanahara patents disclose an upright handle member having a frame supporting a bag or container at its depending end. The Cortinas patent features a paddle member hinged to the handle and manually actuated by the user moving a lever connected by a flexible member with the paddle to pivot the latter in a feces pick up action. The Tanahara patent features a cog wheel pivotally mounted to the depending end of the handle and actuated by a user lifting the lever pivoting the cog wheel to engage a rack moving a paddle toward a frame and bag in a scraping action.
Other United States patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,321 issued Apr. 29, 1980 to Warkentin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,547 issued Jul. 25, 1978 to Williams; U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,351 issued Jul. 1, 1980 to Orofino; U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,229 issued Nov. 23, 1982 to Kinney; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,575 issued Dec. 14, 1993 to Parvaresh, generally show the further state-of-the-art. Both Warkentin U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,321 and Orofino U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,351 disclose upright handles on a bag supporting frame with levers on the handle moved by the operator to pivot a scoop and move feces toward the frame bag, as in the Warkentin patent, or opposed members gripping the feces from opposing sides by a user operating a lever. Williams U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,547 and Kinney U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,229, disclose relatively small bag supporting containers, each having a handle member for moving or carrying the device in which Williams features a spring released trigger member which in turn releases a paddle member spring urged toward the opening of the container, when released by the thumb of the operator. The Kinney patent supports a bag with an open end position in which the user must bend over and scrape the feces into the bag, as by using a section of cardboard or the like. The remaining patent to Parvaresh U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,575, discloses a handle having a bag holding frame on its depending end in which the bag opening is disposed over the feces to be picked up or placed under the animal to be deposited as it falls into the bag.
The present invention is believed distinctive of all the above patents by providing a bag held in open position by a frame on the depending end of an upright telescoping handle. The frame supports a paddle for swinging movement through the frame and propelling dog feces into the bag by downward movement of the handle in the telescoping action.